The Scavenger Hunt
by Tawariell Saerwen
Summary: Isabel creates a scavenger hunt for Lovina to complete on Valentine's Day. Nyotalia - Nyo!Spamano - Human AU.


**The Scavenger Hunt**

By Tawariell Saerwen

**Author's Note: **I participated in the Spamano Secret Valentine on Tumblr and this story was written especially for my assigned Valentine, soulfalleninbuttland! She specifically requested nyotalia, and so this is what I've done. I hope that you like the story, soulfalleninbuttland!

I personally don't follow nyotalia, so this was new territory for me to write about. The names I've chosen for the nyotalian characters are names mentioned on the Hetalia Archives wiki.

This is a Human AU. Nyotalia. Nyo!Spamano.

Enjoy! Happy Valentine's Day!

* * *

The presence of the morning sun began seeping through the curtains to the bedroom of Lovina and Isabel, bringing light into their darkened room. As the darkness began dissipating, Lovina let out a disgruntled groan while tossing and turning in her disheveled bed. She was not ready to arise from her slumber just yet. She clenched her eyes tightly shut as an attempt to shield her sight from the sunlight.

Lovina tried to succumb herself back into unconsciousness, but she was unable to do this. She was awake, and she knew that she had no other choice but to open her eyes. Lovina expressed a loud yawn and she stretched her arms outward. Finally, she opened her eyes and she carefully rubbed the crust away from their corners. "Buongiorno," she murmured to her partner, whom she assumed was still lying beside her. But when Lovina cocked her head to her right, she realized that she was alone.

"Damn her early bird tendencies," she commented, and she lazily scooted herself out of bed. Lovina stretched herself again, and another yawn escaped from her throat. Afterwards, she stepped over to her computer, turned it on, and activated a website that played her favorite radio program. The host obnoxiously talked in his radio voice, announcing his salutations to his audience.

"Good Morning_, love bugs!_ I wish you a very happy St. Valentie's Day!"

Lovina's hazel eyes widened after she heard what the radio host had said. Today was Valentine's Day! She gently bit down onto her bottom lip and smiled over what she and her partner would be doing together today. "I hope that she likes my gift for her," she said to herself as she walked out of the bedroom.

"Buon San Valentino, Isabel!" Lovina happily chirped while she walked down the hallway to the upper level of their home. She waited for her Spanish lover to give a vivacious response to her greeting from downstairs. But instead, Lovina was greeted to silence. "Isabel? Are you home?" she asked, and she began to walk down the staircase. When she came to the bottom of the stairs, it became clear to Lovina that she had the house all to herself.

"W-Where is she?! She couldn't have _forgotten_ it was Valentine's Day…could she?" the Italian woman scoffed. She then walked over to the living room, the dining room and the kitchen to search for any signs of her beloved. When Lovina finally accepted that she was alone, she bitterly folded her arms and shook her head.

"I can't believe her! She actually forgot!" she exclaimed while struggling to hold back her tears. Her eyebrows furrowed, expressing her disappointment and anger over the situation. "Well, fuck it! I'm going back to sleep!" she cursed aloud. She stormed out of the kitchen, walked through the living room and headed up the staircase. When she came back into the master bedroom, Lovina plopped herself into bed, face-first against her soft pillow. The moment that her face touched the pillow, her tears began to spill forth onto it.

_"Why aren't you here, Isabel?!" _cried Lovina; her muffled voice whining through the pillow. She became plagued by what she could have done to cause her partner's absence at home. At that moment, the radio station playing on the computer started playing music. Lovina was not in the mood to listen to it, and she sat herself up in bed. As she was about to stand herself up, she paused when she noticed a red, heart-shaped piece of construction paper standing on her night stand.

"W-What's this?" she asked herself, and she reached over and picked it up. Lovina then turned the heart around and she let out a gasp when she noticed that there was a message written onto it:

_.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

_Buenas Dias, my lovely lady! _

_Rise and shine, please don't be lazy! _

_I've left instructions for you, my dear; _

_I've left it by the cafetiere! _

_Go now! Get up! Don't hesitate – _

_a special surprise for you awaits!_

___.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

"Mio Dio! She didn't forget after all!" Lovina happily exclaimed, and her crying quickly subsided. She immediately ran out of the bedroom, through the hallway, down the stairs, through the living room and into the kitchen, looking to where the cafetiere was stationed. When Lovina spotted the French coffee press, she noticed that Isabel's iPad was lying in front of it. The Italian woman let out a squeal and she activated the smart tablet. When it finally came on, it was already programmed to play a video for her. Lovina pressed the 'play' button and an image of her beloved appeared on the screen.

_ "¡Feliz día de San Valentín, Lovina! I'm glad you've spotted the heart by your bedside! I've arranged a special scavenger hunt for you! Carefully follow the clues that I've left for you around the house. Each clue will bring you closer to me at my exact location. Good luck, sweetie! ¡Te amo!"_

"OH, MIO DIO! MIO DIO! MIO DIO!" Lovina excitedly cried, and she started to hop in place. She would suddenly cease hopping when she realized that Isabel was reciting to her the next clue. She listened intently to what her partner had to say.

_"Here is your next clue: It's time for you to feed your tummy. Look to the fridge for something yummy!" _said Isabel, and she gave a wink to the camera. Finally, the video came to a close.

Lovina quickly went over to the stainless steel refrigerator and she opened the two French doors in unison. She gazed inside the fridge looking for any sign of a clue, specifically another heart-shaped cut out. When she could not find anything inside the upper level, Lovina then decided to pull open the medium cabinet to the fridge. After opening it, she expressed a thrilling squeal when she discovered her next clue: a dark chocolate tart smothered with fudge and topped with powered raspberries.

"Chigi! This looks delicious!" she cried, and she carefully lifted the plate out of the cabinet. She then closed the refrigerator shut and she settled the plate onto the granite kitchen counter. Lovina opened a cabinet and took out a knife and fork. Finally, she cut herself a slice of the tart and she gobbled up her first bite of the sweet treat.

"Mmm!" she seductively moaned, relishing over the deliciousness of her dessert. She took a couple of more bites of the sliced piece until it was gone. She then placed her knife onto the counter and she poked her fingertips into the raspberries that had topped off of her slice. As she collected them and began eating them, Lovina suddenly noticed something peculiar lying _beneath_ the tart. It was another clue!

"MMMPH! MMMPH!" moaned Lovina as she dramatically pointed to the clue on her plate with her fork. She then grabbed her knife and she pushed the rest of the tart to the edge of the plate. She then leaned in and erratically licked away the fudge so she could read the message inscribed onto the paper heart encased with plastic wrap. When the fudge was finally gone, Lovina read the next clue:

_.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

_You're in the mood for something funny; go find your clue amongst them, honey!_

___.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

"'In the mood…for something funny…find the clue…amongst them?' What the_ hell_ does that mean?!" cried Lovina. She tapped her fingertips against the kitchen counter as she pondered over Isabel's current clue. After a few minutes, an idea popped up in her mind. "Something funny…this could be referring to comedy. We both love watching comedy movies and shows." Lovina re-read the clue repeatedly as she tried to figure out the rest of its meaning. When it finally came to her, she gasped and snapped her fingers.

"The DVD collection!" she exclaimed, and she made a mad dash out of the kitchen. She hurried inside the media room and stood herself in front of the huge DVD bookcase. Lovina let out a discouraging sigh when she realized how many comedy films they had in their collection. "Christ! Where do I begin?!" she cried. Lovina thought over the situation as her eyes studied the collection of comedy movies.

"Most likely Isabel stuck the next clue inside a movie that we both love the most…but which one is it?" she asked. She judged each movie title that she assumed would have the clue inside it. When she finally came to one specific movie, _Pee-Wee's Big Adventure,_ Lovina started to giggle, giving it a nod.

"This one…it _has _to be this one!" she insisted, and she pulled the DVD cover out of the bookcase. She turned it over, smiled to the cover and she opened it. She had been right – she found the heart-shape clue taped to the movie disc! "I KNEW IT!" Lovina triumphantly yelled, and she briefly held up the DVD cover in victory. She then ripped the heart off the movie disc and read what was written on it:

_.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

_Tomatoes are your snack of choice. Hurry, now! Go to their source!_

_.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

"This one's easy! It's the garden!" said Lovina. She tossed the heart onto the floor and she placed the movie back into its rightful spot on the DVD bookcase. She ran out of the media room and headed toward the kitchen. Once inside, she exited through the back entrance, which lead into the backyard. Lovina's pace slowed down once she approached the small tomato patch. She leaned forward and stuck her hands into the patch, feeling for another paper heart taped inside it. Her hands carefully separated the vines while she scavenged for the next clue. After a few minutes of searching, Lovina finally found the red paper heart taped to a plump tomato.

She plucked the tomato off of its vine. She then pulled the clue off of the tomato itself. As she took a bite into the fruit, she began reading the message inscribed on the heart.

_.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

_You're catching up to me, I see! _

_Can't wait to have you close to me!_

_ There is a way to get here faster – _

_your clue is in the alabaster!_

_.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

"The clue is in the _alabaster?_ But that means…" Lovina trailed off as she dwelled about her next task. She swallowed hard when she came to the realization that she would have to search through the alabaster collection inside the home. Lovina walked back into the house through the kitchen and she stepped inside the living room. She looked around and spotted the numerous alabaster stone pieces on display, including the chandelier and lamps – and this was just inside the _living room. _

_"Oh, no…"_ Lovina despondently sighed, and she unknowingly dropped her half-eaten tomato onto the wooden floor. She shook her head in disbelief in what she needed to do. "Well…I better get started," she said, and she began to check out the alabaster stone pieces of art. She lifted up statue figurines, collective plates, and mosaic art tablets, but failed to find any clues attached to them. Lovina then moved on to the upright alabaster lampshades to the standing lamps. She stood on her tiptoes and peered inside each one, hoping to find a clue. There was nothing to be found. Finally, Lovina looked up to the alabaster chandelier; this was her final place to search inside the living room.

The Italian woman let out a disgruntled huff and she walked back inside the kitchen. She opened a storage cabinet and she grabbed a hold of the oversized standing ladder stored inside. Lovina struggled to drag it out of the cabinet and into the living room, but her determination to find the clue gave her the willpower to bring the ladder over to the chandelier. Once she did this, she propped the ladder beside the chandelier and she carefully climbed up to the top. When she came to the top, she hoped to have found a paper heart taped inside one of the lamps. But instead, there was nothing but dust bunnies greeting her.

"What the fuck?!" cursed Lovina as she stepped off the ladder, "Where the hell is this clue?! It's not up here…which means…oh, mio dio…it could be in _another_ room!" Once her feet were planted on the floor, Lovina stepped over and collapsed onto the leather couch. She groaned over the thought of having to search the rest of the house. She remained laying down for a few minutes with her stare looking back up to the alabaster chandelier. Ideas came into her head about the current clue she was trying to crack, and she spoke to herself about her hypothesis.

"'Your clue is in the alabaster.' Alabaster stone comes from the Middle East…I think from Egypt – " Suddenly, Lovina sat herself up and she slapped her palms together. "THAT'S IT! ISABEL'S IN EGYPT!" she proclaimed. After re-thinking about her answer, however, Lovina shook her head and sighed. "Wait, why would she be in Egypt?! That _can't_ be right!" she uttered. She remained in sitting position as she thought over her current situation.

After ten minutes of trying to figure out the clue, Lovina placed her hands upon her face and she expressed another frustrated groan. "Maybe she fucked up and forgot to leave the next clue. Perhaps if I call her and ask – no! I can't do _that!_ Then the scavenger hunt would be a flop! She's depending on _me_ to figure things out on my own.

"Oh, Isabel! Why did you make this clue so fucking hard?! Damn it!" Lovina cried, and she resentfully kicked the wooden coffee table. After she did this, Lovina placed her elbows onto her thighs and she rested her chin into the palms of her hands. She started to slouch on the couch, her gaze looking down to the wooden floor. After letting out a sigh, her sight caught something _red _on the floor. "I-Is…is it a clue?!" she inquired, and she suddenly went down onto her knees on the floor. She looked beneath the coffee table and she dramatically gasped – it was a heart-shaped clue!

"THERE YOU ARE!" shouted Lovina, and she reached over and grabbed the paper heart. She held it up and read what was written on it. It turned out not a clue after all, but a hint:

_.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

_Oh, no! You're stumped! Don't worry, lover! Look over to our blessed Mother!_

_.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

"'Look over to our blessed Mother.' But that means – of course! _The Virgin Mary!_" Lovina happily shouted and she stood herself up. "The clue is in the _shrine!_" she exclaimed and she hurried over to the religious shrine. When she came up to the closed room, she opened the door, and found that all the candles had been lit inside. Lovina looked to the shrine, especially to the large statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She then realized that there was an _alabaster jar _positioned in front of it. "That must be where the clue is!" said Lovina, and she stepped up to the shrine. She reached over to pick up the stoned jar, and she lifted the lid. There, inside the jar, was a scrolled up paper heart.

"I FOUND IT! WOO-HOO!" she shouted, and she playfully performed a jig inside the religious shrine. When she eventually stopped dancing, Lovina placed the alabaster jar back onto the shrine. She opened up the paper heart and tried to iron its shape flat with her fist. Afterwards, she read what it said on it:

_.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

_Great job! You've found the final clue! Does this look familiar to you?_

**[ Safari Icon ]**

_.。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・° .。.:*・°_

Lovina eagerly grinned when she recognized the Safari icon on the clue. "The iPad!" she interjected, and she dashed out of room, only to return to pay her respects to the religious icons. After crossing herself, she went up and blew all the candles out. Finally, she ran away from the shrine and hurried back into the kitchen. Once inside, she stepped up to the iPad, activated the screen, and clicked out of her beloved's video. She then pressed her index finger upon the Safari icon. When it loaded, it showed Google's results page and exhibited the final clue to Isabel's whereabouts: she was waiting inside a _labyrinth_ – specifically the Parc del Labernit d'Horta, located in the Horta-Guinardó district in Barcelona.

Lovina joyously celebrated her achievements by giggling and jumping in place. She was so proud of herself! She had completed the scavenger hunt! She knew exactly how to get to Isabel, so she turned off the smart tablet and placed it back onto the granite kitchen counter. "I'm coming to see you, baby!" exclaimed Lovina, and she ran through the back door which led to the backyard and to the garage. Before she had the chance to go into the garage, the Italian woman suddenly realized that she was still in her pajamas!

Embarrassed, Lovina scurried back inside the house before she was seen. "I better clean up, first! I look like shit!" she said, and she exited the kitchen.

* * *

"Shit! How do I fucking get out of here?!" cried Lovina as she came up to another dead end inside the humungous labyrinth. She turned around and retraced her footsteps. She zigzagged left and right, up and down, through the complex pathway, hoping to end up at the exit to see her beloved standing by the oasis water fountain. Eventually, Lovina discovered other people walking through, and she proceeded to follow their lead. After several minutes of trekking through the labyrinth, Lovina made it to the exit. When she stepped forward, she suddenly paused and gawked to what stood before her.

Isabel was standing in front of the oasis water fountain, accompanied by their friends and family whom were standing around her, holding up bunches of pink and white heart-shaped balloons. Everyone they knew and loved was there, including Lovina's sister, Feliciana, and her partner, Monika.

"¡Hola, Lovina! You did it!" Isabel proudly exclaimed, and she waved to her lover's direction.

"Isabel!" cried Lovina, and she ran up to her partner's direction. When they finally reunited, they embraced tightly in each other's arms. After their hug, Lovina grinned to everyone surrounding them. "Ciao, everybody!" she said.

"Hey, Lovina! Glad you could make it!" replied Amelia.

Lovina's olive complexion flushed slightly when a thought crossed her mind. "Have you all been standing around like this the whole time while you've been waiting for me to show up?" she asked.

"On the contrary," answered Alice, "we heard your cursing through the labyrinth, and we knew that was our _cue_ to get into position."

Lovina smirked to Alice and she softly chuckled. "Well, that makes sense. What a wonderful surprise this is, having everyone here on Valentine's Day!"

Feliciana smiled to her sister and she reached over to poke Lovina's shoulder. "Oh, there's much _more_ to your surprise!" she chirped.

After Feliciana gave her subtle hint on the occasion, her partner, Monika, nudged her elbow upon her arm. "Shhh!" she warned.

Lovina arched an eyebrow to both Feliciana and Monika and she shook her head. "T-There is? What do you mean? Everyone I love is here right now. How could it get better than this?"

"Well, sweetie," Isabel spoke, "your sister is right. There's more than meet's the eye. I wouldn't leave you empty-handed after you've completed my scavenger hunt."

"I-I don't understand…you mean you're giving me a _prize?"_ Lovina innocently asked.

Isabel warmly grinned to her beloved. "I have something _greater_ than that," she answered. Before Lovina had the chance to ask what she meant, Isabel gently clasped her left hand and she brought herself to kneel on one knee.

_"Mio Dio!"_ yelped Lovina, and she brought her right hand over her trembling mouth. She shamelessly started to weep in front of her partner, their friends, family, and the strangers whom were occupying the labyrinth's square. Isabel held out an opened box, exhibiting a gorgeous engagement ring inside it. Lovina listened intently to Isabel's heartwarming, romantic proposal to her, and observed the sincere emotion written on her face.

"Lovina Vargas…my partner…my lover…my very best friend. I love you more than life itself. I live and breathe for your essence; you are the completion to my heart. There's a saying that when you meet your other half, you can't wait to begin living the rest of your life with that special person.

"Sweetheart, _you_ are my other half, and I don't want to waste any more time without making you my beloved _wife._ Lovina…will you marry me?"

Lovina emotionally sobbed after she listened to Isabel's proposal. Without any hesitation, she nodded and answered to her. "Y-Yes! Yes, I-I will!" she exclaimed.

"R-Really?!" cried Isabel, and her tears began to stream down her face. Lovina nodded her head, confirming what she had said. Isabel sighed with relief and she happily smiled to her now fiancé. She nervously took out the engagement ring and she slipped the ring onto Lovina's finger. Finally, she kissed her partner's hand and stood herself up.

Isabel and Lovina's friends released their hold onto their balloons, allowing them to float up to heaven. They began cheering for them and giving their congratulations. The strangers amongst them joined in and contributed by clapping, cheering, and whistling for the wonderful occasion. At that very moment, Isabel and Lovina passionately kissed each other on the lips.

When their lips finally parted, Lovina smiled to her beloved while arching an eyebrow to her. "Let me ask you this: would you have still proposed to me if I had failed the scavenger hunt?" she jokingly asked.

Isabel's embrace tightened around Lovina's figure and she gave a gentle peck upon her lover's lips. "The thought never crossed my mind. I _knew_ you'd do great solving my riddles. My baby is one smart cookie!"

"Good answer," Lovina playfully replied, and the two lovers began giggling over the situation. Finally, Isabel leaned in closely and she gave a kiss upon the side of Lovina's face.

_"Te amo,"_ she whispered into her lover's ear.

Isabel leaned back to look at her beloved's face. Lovina's hazel eyes were beginning to brim up with tears again as she answered back to her. "Anch'io, ti amo," she concurred, and she planted her lips upon her fiancé's quivering mouth. Their friends and family then stepped forward and they encircled around them, raising their arms and resting them upon each other's shoulders, and surrounded the couple in a protective bond of love and solidarity.

* * *

The End


End file.
